Definition
A qualifier used in METAR and TAF reports to indicate that a weather phenomenon is occurring in the vicinity of the airport — generally between 5 and 10 statute miles from the center of the runway complex — but not at the airport itself. VC is placed before the weather code it modifies (for example, VCTS for thunderstorms in the vicinity, VCSH for showers in the vicinity).
Plain English
VC means the weather is happening near the airport, but not right over it — close enough to matter, far enough that it is not directly affecting the field at the moment of the report.
Context Anchor
Seen in METARs when weather such as fog, showers, or thunderstorms is close enough to matter to pilots but is not directly over the airport.
Derivation
VC is short for vicinity, from the Latin vicinitas meaning neighborhood or nearness. It signals proximity rather than presence — the weather is in the neighborhood, not on the field.
Why Pilots Care
It helps pilots anticipate possible changes to conditions during approach, departure, or ground operations.
Intuition Check
Do not read “in the vicinity” as a vague, casual phrase here. In a METAR, VC has a specific reporting meaning: the weather is near the station, commonly 5 to 10 statute miles away.
Example Sentence 1
The METAR reported VCTS, so the pilot delayed departure until the thunderstorm activity near the field moved away.
Example Sentence 2
Even though the report listed VC RA, the field itself remained clear and the pilot continued the approach.